Harry Potter and the Long Fall Into Darkness
by Mrriddler
Summary: What is victory? Is it the mere destruction of Voldemort or something much more? Blah, blah... read if you're looking for a quick shot of psychopathic thrill. Ruthless, manipulative, unreasonably powerful Dark Lord Harry. Mature content.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, never will and not making any money off of my writing.**_

**AN:**Wanted to write, but can't be bothered to come up with any sort of a cohesive plot or context. Read a few neat HP stories and wanted to give it a whirl. This is a short ruthless, manipulative, so unbelievably overpowered Dark Lord Harry that you'll cry story. Rated for gratuitous violence and sexual content. No bashing though... at least I hope not.

**Harry Potter and the Long Fall Into Darkness**  
>By Mrriddler<p>

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mr. Potter, do you have anything else to add?"

Harry Potter blinked, his eyes focusing on the two professors in front of him. He looked between them and his girlfriend before shaking his head.

"Harry, I'm terribly sorry for what has happened. If I..."

"Professor, it's late and it has been a long day. If possible, I'd like to finish this conversation some other time," Harry interrupted. He was in no mood for one of the esteemed warlock's monologues. His Head of House bristled at his dismissive tone, but a gentle hand from the Headmaster cut out her protest.

"Certainly, Harry. My office is open to you whenever you ever wish to talk about what happened." Dumbledore's concern was genuine and his empathy touching. In another place, at another time, it might have meant something to Harry Potter. "I assume you wish to keep your companion company for the night?" A twinkle of light entered the Headmaster's eyes.

Harry forced out a slight blush that was mirrored by his girlfriend.

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Potter!"

"Quite alright, Minvera. Mr. Potter has earned the right to this respite. I'll inform Poppy to check up on Ms. Li in the morning." Professor Mcgonagall looked decidedly uncomfortable with the arrangement; a boy and a girl alone, secure behind the privacy wards of the infirmary. She settled on the sternest glare she could muster.

"We'll behave, professor," Harry promised with a slightly insincere smile. The Gryffindor head sighed, but nodded. That cheeky little brat, just like his father.

The raven-haired wizard watched the retreating backs of the two professors disappear out the door, making sure they were truly gone before turning his attention to his _girlfriend_.

"I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry-"

Harry lifted a finger to his lips to silence the girl. His hands glowed with power as magic swirled in the air. The faint outlines of arcane runes flashed for a second before disappearing, leaving the atmosphere calm and inert once more.

"The walls have ears, sweetie," Harry chastised soothingly, but the warmth did not reach his eyes.

Li Su gulped.

Her lord's favorites, his most treasured possessions and most valued confidants were dead because of her.

"I'm so sorry. I was their shield, but I was too slow. Voldemort..." the petite Chinese girl began, openly admitting her failures. She might be Harry's public girlfriend, but Su knew what she wasn't. She was not in his heart, though one might wonder if any of his girls was. She did make a wonderful trophy girlfriend though. The muggleborn daughter of foreigners orphaned by war being taken in and protected by the prodigal standard bearer of the light. What a splendid image.

"He killed them, but left you alive."

"I should've given my life for them. You should've left me to die," Su lamented.

"True," Cold as ice and like a jagged dagger through her heart. "But you didn't and I didn't so here we are."

Su trembled like a lost little girl, which was a new feeling. While never a favorite, she was an elite, one of the coven's best. She had never failed her lord before and certainly not so catastrophically.

Harry calmly crossed the distance and kissed his girlfriend's forehead.

"You were magnificent, Su, simply magnificent. Things rarely go how we want them to go. That's life I suppose. No matter what happens afterward, I'll always be proud to call you mine." With that said, Harry dove into her mouth, wrapping his tongue around hers.

Despite her inner turmoil, Harry's words and touch elicited an immediate Pavlovian response from Su Li. Her body flared with magic and arousal as her pussy drooled in anticipation. Their cloths seemed to melt in an instant as the young girl molded her body against that of her master. Her dark browns looked pleadingly into his deep green ones. No foreplay, no games, just animalistic coupling. Harry was happy to oblige, much to his girl's delight.

Su Li whimpered with joy as Harry entered her, overwhelming her senses. Even if she received a death sentence the next day, she wouldn't have cared. In that moment, nothing else mattered.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Harry Potter!"

Harry Potter opened his eyes and blinked warily at his audience, a scandalized Hermione and half scowling, half upset Cho Chang.

"Oh, good morning, 'Mione."

The sun shinned brightly into the infirmary, though not as brightly as the flushed cheeks of the two spectating witches.

"Don't good morning me! What are you doing in that bed, Harry?"

As if it wasn't obvious enough, the bed sheets chose that moment to slip away, revealing the couple in their birthday suits, dried cum and all. A long and rancorous discussion would have erupted had Madam Pomfrey not chosen that moment to make her appearance and displeasure known although the respite did not last long. After confirming that everything was in order, the elderly matron kicked the lot of them out with the stipulation that Su Li checked in with her within 48 hours.

"I can't believe you, Harry Potter!"

The famed wizard, for his part, said nothing as his "best" female friend lectured him. It was touching and a little sad how little his long time friend knew about him. Has it really been that long since he secretly undertook this dark quest? Harry shared a look with Su.

"Hermione, don't blame Harry. It was my idea. I wanted the sex. I wanted to feel Harry after fighting Voldemort."

"You... you fought him?"

Su smiled faintly as Cho gaped at her.

"Well, Harry fought him. I helped," she elaborated, giving a cute grin as she snuggled closer to her boyfriend. The other two girls stared at them.

"So the rumors are true."

Harry blinked at them. "Perhaps."

Hermione adopted a pained look. "We... we need to talk, Harry."

"Yes, we do," he agreed as much as he wished otherwise. He turned to Cho with a smile. "Would you please escort my girlfriend back to her dorm, Cho?"

The tall Asian girl nodded, but without bothering to hide her disappointment at being unable to spend some time with him. The reminder that Su and not her was his girlfriend didn't help.

"That was cruel, Harry."

Said boy looked at his friend with a blank expression.

"You know she still likes you. Throwing Su in her face is just mean."

True, but Harry didn't really care, not anymore. Besides since when did his bookish friend get on such good terms with the oriental beauty.

"I don't think that's what you wanted to talk to me about."

Hermione blushed. "Harry, what's happening? Ron and I were worried sick about what happened. We had no idea what was going on. You don't... you don't talk to us. It's like we don't even know you any more."

_You haven't known me for a long time,_Harry thought. Though it was only recently that he began unraveling the illusion of their previously close friendship. Strange how Hermione talked about her and Ron yet the redhead was nowhere in sight.

The dark-haired savior of the magical world spoke all the right words and lent a comfortable shoulder as his old childhood friend poured out her heart in between sobs. Funny how it barely even moved him. When he started on his quest, this grand strategy, he had always intended to return to his friends and his old life. When did he cross the Rubicon? Was it when he performed his first dark curse? When he killed his first innocent? When he forcibly formed his harem?

"Why didn't you tell us? We would've come to you. I would have come."

A deep, dark emotion flared within Harry as the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Susan and Luna are dead," he hissed. Hermione sobbed a little louder. Perhaps she had been hoping that that particular rumor was a lie. Harry pressed forward unrelentingly. "They are dead because they were with me and fought for me. They died for me, 'Mione."

Hermione's moist eyes looked at him desperately. Desperate for what he didn't know, but he wasn't about to find out.

"They died for me so that you wouldn't have to."

There he said it. He told her the truth without necessarily telling her anything.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I have to go," Harry stated sadly, leaving behind the anguished form of his old friend, slumped against the cold stone wall.

Nearby, a certain black-haired Slytherin prefect turned to her companions.

"I need to take care of something. Why don't you go ahead. Stay clear of the puffers for now," she warned ominously.

"You know something, don't you, Pansy." Tracey Davis accused with narrowed eyes.

"I think it's best if we don't pry too deeply," added their third friend and housemate, Daphne Greengrass watching Pansy with a cool look. The female Prefect smiled cutely, which came out looking quite twisted. Tracy frowned, but allowed herself to be led away.

Pansy watched until her companions disappeared down the hall, her mind churning. On the surface, her roommates were perfect candidates for her master's order and would likely be useful allies within the coven. Tracy was always somewhat cool to her, but Pansy didn't begrudge her too much since she was intelligent and ambitious and already a budding spymaster, ostensibly on behalf of Harry Potter's little study group.

Daphne Greengrass, on the other hand, was perhaps an even greater prize. The consummate pureblood, groomed from an early age to carry on her family's place at high society, Daphne literally lived and breathed politics as demonstrated by her domination of Slytherin intra-house affairs. Not to mention she was drop dead gorgeous; gorgeous in the sort of ethereal, not quite mortal fashion that made some question her pureblood heritage.

The perfect wife for the eventual "savior" of the magical world.

All Pansy had to do was nudge the actors in the right direction. The bigger challenge would be to ensure that her housemates doesn't end up usurping her position. Task was for another time.

"What do we have here?" Pansy stepped into the enclosure, after weaving a subtle Notice Me Not spell around the area.

Granger remained on the ground, her head in her arms. The stupid girl was so engrossed in her personal grief that she never noticed her surroundings. Pansy was sourly tempted to have a little _fun_with the pathetic mudblood. Merlin knows how much she despised the bushy haired teacher's pet. They all hated her. But even so, she refrained from enacting her vengeance. No, there would be time for that, someday, somewhere. In the meantime, Pansy, being the good Slytherin she was, settled for furthering her own plans.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Hermione Granger whipped her head up, finding herself looking down the end of a wand held by a younger girl.

"You're Granger, Potter's lap dog, are you not?"

The Gryffindor bristled, but found herself with few options to retaliate, what with the wand still pointed at her. Hermione glared at the offending Slytherin. Fine blonde hair, clear alabaster skin, high cheekbones, the works; ah, must be a Greengrass. Didn't Daphne have a younger sister? What was her name again?

The girl lowered her wand and offered a slim, dainty hand.

"You shouldn't be down here alone." Hermione blushed in response as she took the offered hand. She hadn't realized how far she had wandered into the Slytherin dungeon. The numb bushy-haired brunnette allowed herself to be guided away.

"You alright?"

The Gryffindor very nearly responded. So desperate for an outlet and bursting with suppressed emotions. But then she looked into the younger girl's clear blue eyes, so cold and calm, belying her sweet smile.

"Thanks for your help." Hermione muttered, quickening her pace to distance herself.

_She was wary. Smart girl_, Pansy thought offering the other girl a measure of grudging respect. Transformed back into her proper form, she ran a hand through her dark trusses. Blasted split ends! What she wouldn't do to have Daphne's hair follicles. A quick douse of magic fixed up her image.

It was a dangerous game, no doubt. Her master's order was quite firm. The _mudblood _was not to be touched or involved in any way. But what was life without a little risk?

XXXXXXXXXX

Su Li resisted the urge to giggle as she watched her housemate struggle with her emotions. Relief and guilt warred with anger and of course mounting jealousy across Cho Chang's face. The Chinese girl tried to avoid feeling self-satisfied, but it was difficult. Green was a familiar color for Su. She had lived in her friend's shadows for the longest time. In everything, she was like Cho, just less so: smart but not as clever; cute, but not as beautiful; well liked, but not as popular. It was why Cho Chang won Cedric and then had the first shot at Harry Potter while she had no one.

That all changed in one night; the night that Su Li lost everything, but gained something more. So now who was having sex with Harry regularly and who was so far from his inner circle that she would need a Marauder's Map to find him on most days? She thought viciously.

"How are you? I heard about the fight. I wanted to make sure you're all right."

"Why do you care?"

Cho glared. "I was... I was trying to be a friend." Then as if deciding it wasn't worth the effort, she turned away. "Forget it. Forget I said anything."

"Wait. I'm sorry," Su called out. It was just hard to control those petty instincts. "I do appreciate your concern and you are a good friend, Cho. You always have been."

The apology worked as Cho started tearing up. Su wrapped her arms around the friend and gave her a firm hug. "I haven't been a good friend lately. I'm sorry. It's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it?"

"Before last winter break I think," Cho said with a shy smile. Before long the two were talking like old friends. Su had to admit. It felt nice to be normal, even for just a little while. The moment didn't last long though as the duo ran straight into the last person Su wanted to see.

"Oh hey, Hannah, what's up?" inquired the clueless Cho. Su reacted instantly, throwing her friend forcibly away while hastily erecting the strongest shield charm she knew. The elite witch opened her mouth to speak, but it was already too late. The air pulsed with magic as Su felt the first curse shatter her Protego Maxima like it wasn't there and the second curse rend her flesh from bone.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Bloody Puffers!"

That was the first remark Pansy heard as she entered the sacred chamber of the coven, also known as the Chamber of Secrets.

"What happened?"

"So good of you to finally join us, Parkinson. What do you think happened? Hannah bumped into Su Li in the hallways despite Master's orders. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had a huge row before dragging Gryffindors and some Slytherins in as well turning it into World War III. Fortunately, we managed to extricate those two in the chaos before the professors showed up. But we're going to need help if Hannah goes out of control again." One of the girls pointedly looked at her. Pansy snorted. While she was quite confident in her own skills, she knew she was no match against one so steeped in the Arcane Arts, someone who was personally taught by their lord and master. Bloody puffers indeed.

"Where _is_our lord?"

Shrugs. A horrified shriek suddenly filled the stale air.

Pansy had a feeling what that was and her suspicion was quickly confirmed as she walked forward. A brightly lid rune inscribed circle stood in the center of the chamber, containing a terrified, semi-naked man being preyed upon by creatures the color of midnight black.

Inferi.

"No, please! Please I beg of you! NO!"

The man's desperate pleas fell on deaf ears. The rest of the coven watched with wary fascination as the undead feasted on the poor man until only scraps of flesh and dried blood was left.

"That was disgusting," Pansy finally remarked, speaking for many of her sisters, as she banished away the remains. She moved to the center of the chamber, opposite Hannah Abbott, their Master's personal Huffleslut, who was also the coven's Mistress of the Arcane Arts and Necromancer. The rest of the coven hesitantly closed in, but made sure to stand further out.

"About time you showed yourself," the blonde grunted.

The Slytherin's eyes settled on the kneeling form of Su Li enclosed in a rune prison off to the side. Pansy nodded her head at the prostrate girl. "I'm surprised you didn't sic your pets on someone else."

"I was tempted and who's to say I won't?" Hannah gave a malicious smile that sent shivers down Pansy's back. And people say Slytherins are evil!

"I call the full coven into session to pass final judgment on our own." All eyes turned to the petite Chinese girl.

Pansy laughed. Several others looked at her as if she had lost her mind, but she couldn't help herself.

"You intend to kill our lord's... You think Harry's just going to stand by and let you kill his girlfriend. Grief made you that delusional?"

"He will accept an unanimous vote by the coven," she stated simply. "Our sister in faith and arms, Su Li," she spat out, "is charged with the crime of failing the Guardian's Pledge and treason against the coven. The punishment is excommunication and death. I vote Yay!"

"Yay."

"Yay."

The unsettling feeling within Pansy grew with each affirmative vote by her sisters. It wasn't so much she felt empathy for the damned Chinese girl. She could burn in hades for all she cared. The Slytherin was more concerned with what the vote said about Hannah's status.

"Yay."

Morgana's cunt!

When did Hannah amass so much influence or did others' loyalty to Susan transfer over to her? Pansy looked closer at those around her and realized the real reason was much simpler.

Fear.

The massive chamber was choking in it. What did Hannah threaten to do to force their compliance? What kind of monster did their lord create in the once tame and gentle Hufflepuff?

"I'm waiting."

Right. Pansy looked at her sisters, most of whom refused to meet her gaze. She had hoped she wouldn't have to do this, but she had no choice. Unlike her shortsighted companions, she knew what she had to do, what their lord would've expected her to do, even as every fiber of her Slytherin being screamed in protest.

Besides, she always wondered how the other side lived. It couldn't be that bad, could it or else Gryffindors would be an extinct species.

"Nay."

"I didn't hear you. Say that again," Hannah rasped, her eyes narrowing into tints of black. It was an unsubtle offer to reconsider with an implicit threat. Pansy responded by pulling magic onto herself, coiling it around her like a protective cocoon. Her wand slipped into her outstretched hand. Their coven mates slowly backed away.

"You heard me the first time, Abbott."

"So I did."

The two Inner Coven Sisters locked eyes; one tense and ready to fight, the other motionless and serene. For a moment, Pansy wondered if her coven sister was going to back down.

"Release."

The explosion of light and magic threw most of the sisters to the ground. It also ripped to shred all Pansy's enchantments and personal protective wards and then some.

One word. One bloody, fucking word was all it took. Not even a full incantation. The Slytherin was already in motion, activating her own runic countermeasures, but she knew she stood no chance in an one on one. She might not be well liked, but there was no way the rest of the coven would tolerate this sort of aggression from Hannah. Indeed, several of her sisters, after overcoming their shock, tried to move against the Necromancer only to find themselves on the receiving ends of wands pointed at them by their other sisters.

"Please do not interfere with Lady Abbott's mission."

_Ah, bugger that twat._

Hannah smirked. "Eh, Parkinson. So Slytherin. So predictable. Now, why don't you go to sleep so we can finish our business."

Pansy grunted as the magic forced her to her knees, her wand resting uselessly on the ground.

Merlin's balls. She felt weak and pathetic. She imagined she looked even worse in front of all her sisters. The mighty, proud Slytherin getting dropped in under a minute by a Hufflepuff and the other girl wasn't even out of breath. Just how freaking strong was she? Bugger Puffers, bugger Gryffindors and bugger Harry Bleeding Potter for not liking her enough to train her.

"You stupid blind bitch, where do you think Master spent last night?" Pansy cried out in pain and frustration.

"What does it matter?"

"Harry spent last night in Su Li's bed, dammit. Not yours, not mine or anyone else's. If you can't even understand that you're beyond salvation."

Bloody phlegm forced its way out of Pansy's mouth as her constrictions tightened, destroying her clothes and drawing blood. Watching Hannah gather magic around her and feeling herself losing consciousness, she only prayed that the powerful witch retained enough of her sanity to not kill her.

Hannah was too far gone, however. She sent the blast of light at her defenseless enemy. The rest of her sisters watched helplessly, too shocked or scared to intercede.

The beam of light, however, evaporated an instant before it hit the target.

"That is quite enough," boomed a powerful voice. Harry Potter materialized out of thin air in front of Pansy Parkinson, the very image of a vengeful God or a pissed off Master. He removed the prison around Su and the constraints around Pansy with a hand wave and cast a disdainful glance around the room. "Drop your wand. All of you. Now!"

What the master commands, the coven obeys. The witches lowered their wands as one and descended to one knee in a synchronized fluid motion, all except one that is. Pansy tried to maneuver into the appropriate position only to fail spectacularly.

_Kill me now._

There was a shuffling of feet as Pansy felt Su Li guide her into some sort of a half-assed, half slumped kneeing position. At least their lord and master didn't try to tend to her wounds. She doubt she could continue on living if he did.

"Milord!"

Harry Potter, First Lord of the Sixth Age of Magic, snorted in disgust. "Some lord I am. Less than twenty four hours after Voldemort's defeat and my order falls apart."

Those words gave the witches pause.

"That's right. Voldemort is dead and done and I'll erase the last of his presence soon enough." All that was left was to find and destroy the last of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes. "I had intended today to be a day of celebration and remembrance..." His hand gestured around the chamber. "Instead, I have to deal with this."

"Hannah." The cowed girl lowered her head even more, refusing to meet his gaze. "I lost two of mine yesterday and you intended to lose me another. I can not forgive that."

The witches of the coven shivered, wondering what punishment their master would dispense to their most preeminent sister, and what he would do to them in turn for their complacency.

"... but I have neither the time nor desire for that right now. Voldemort had scheduled an important Death Eater gathering for tonight before he passed from the mortal realm."

Harry Potter began a rhythmic incantation in a foreign language none of his girls could understand. A luminescent golden locket appeared, hovering just above the blonde Necromancer's head.

"Hannah."

The girl looked up with glistening eyes, allowing the trinket to fall past her head and settle on her neck. The artifact immediately latched onto the base, embedding half of its body into her flesh. The locket pulsed and cycled through its colors, orange, red, brown and finally pitch black. It molded, twisted, and constricted around the blonde's neck like a angry serpent until it drew blood. The dark liquid came in droplets and then streams as the blonde swayed dangerously. Suddenly it stopped and the locket, now a choker disappeared. A small red bottle floated in front of Hannah.

"Drink." She did so and color started returning to her pale cheeks.

"Your actions betrayed the trust and faith I placed in you." Hannah tried to speak, to explain, but her displeased master shushed her before she finished uttering the first syllable. "Your access to the Further Plane is revoked, as is your ability to wield the Arcane Arts."

The coven gave a collective gasp. What the lord gives, the lord takes away.

"I'm so very disappointed in you. Susan had such great hopes for you. I guess she was wrong." Harry pointed to the two witches beside Hannah. "Take her to her room and let her rest. Make sure she's not disturbed."

Harry then turned his back to the trio, including one of his most trusted friends, his bonded and his Dark Arts protege. Cold. What was Hannah worth now without her necromancy and her dark arts? The thought sent goosebumps down the backs of the remaining witches making them wonder what their master would do to them.

Right before their eyes, Harry Potter began to shift, his frame growing outward, his hair disappearing and his skin morphing into an unnatural white until the Dark Lord himself stood before them.

"As for the rest of you, I'll deal with you individually," he hissed with an outwardly stretched finger, sickly and pale like the rest of him. Pansy Parkinson shivered at the words. He had the pitch and tone down perfectly.

"Pansy."

She winced, but extended her arm. The Dark Lord withdrew his wand pressed sharply against the Dark Mark. It burned red hot and the Slytherin had to suppress a groan as her flesh sizzled like it was being cooked. Pansy dimly felt herself being guided to the teleportation runes.

What? Oh right, her cover was that of a Death Eater. She resigned herself to a long night. Of course, her lord wouldn't think to offer _her _a respite.

"Please wait."

"Parkinson is quite injured. Allow me to take her place, my lord."

Pansy wearily recognized the speaker as one of Hannah's lackeys. Harry did too as he cast her a baleful look using Voldemort's serpentine eyes.

"You of people should not be so eager to draw my attention right now."

"I understand. I will accept any and all punishment you deem necessary, my lord, but please allow me to do this on my sister's behalf."

The Dark Lord stared for a long minute before finally chuckling. Rather he tried to chuckle, failed, then tried to snort, and failed as well. Riddle's anatomy apparently allowed neither. "Against me you choose to grow a backbone?" He, however, granted the request. The girl drank from a bottle and Pansy saw a replica of herself standing beside the Dark Lord before they both disappeared.

The chamber dimmed as if the light of Merlin had gone out.

"Merlin's fiddlesticks. That made me horny as hell."

The coven gave the speaker strange looks.

"Eh, not the Dark Lord transformation, but before that. Harry hasn't shown that much emotion in a long time." That was true enough. Even if it was anger and disgust directed at them, the witches felt a flutter of hope at seeing their Master exhibiting some form of human emotion.

Pansy pulled herself to her two feet, biting back the urge to moan as every bone in her body protested her action. The Slytherin wanted no part of whatever the hell her coven sisters were planning. The stupid tarts didn't realize how close they came to being blasted into oblivion. Five minutes out of danger and they were already thinking with their pussies.

"Thank you for telling all of us and for making me leaky as well."

Silence.

"So... astronomy tower in 10 minutes?"

Sluts!

"Hey Parkinson-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you." The Slytherin forced as much heat and venom into her words as possible, though it remained an empty threat. Everyone could see she wasn't fit to wield a wet noodle much less a wand.

"I'll escort Lady Parkinson back to her dorm."

No one objected, not even Pansy, as Su Li escorted her away. The small Chinese girl refused to meet the Slytherin's eyes, making her death glare less effective than intended. At least she had a Ravenclaw's sense to keep her mouth quiet. She was even generous enough not to ask about the shimmering wetness running down her thighs or the musky scent she hid beneath an air freshening charm. Already, keeping the Chinese girl alive was paying dividends.

XXXXXXXXXX

**AN:**That sucked big brass balls to be honest. Didn't turn out like how I intended. I wanted to have Harry kill someone close to him in a really dramatic, heart wrenching kind of way. No, not Ginny since I can't write her in a sympathetic enough light to make it dramatic and I think I want Ron and Hermione alive. Guess I'll have to write another chapter... maybe.

**Character Bios and Analysis:**

**Hannah Abbott**- Not going to lie. The idea of a Puff, especially this puff stomping, is attractive. Was reading a story called "The Reluctant Lord," which featured a budding Necromancer Hannah and her close friend Susan being in Harry's harem. They aren't really central characters, but I found it cute and couldn't help but ask what would happen if Susan died. Ah-ha, now that I got you hooked, you have to read that story now.

**Pansy Parkinson**- One of the most universally hated characters that pops up in fanon as prop. Naturally I used her as "the" Slytherin girl instead of someone with better fanon PR like Daphne or Tracy. None of that hot-cold dependable Ice Princess stuff. What you is what you get. She's a bitchy, catty, racist, cruel bully. She joined the DE before falling in with Harry, which means she willingly and knowingly tortured and killed innocents.

Willing to take suggestions and ideas for what to do with some other female characters or who they should be aside from Lisa Turpin and Luna and Susan.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Had to write another chapter since I completely forgot about Dumbledore. Dark Harry isn't dark if he doesn't get to screw with the old fossil, right? I should give a _**Big Warning**_ for decent Light Wizard Albus Dumbledore though. You have been warned!

Oh yeah, and a smaller warning for gruesome, gruesome violence. Just minor stuff like torture, rape and murder, no biggie, right? While most of it is implicit, it probably won't matter.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know, Albus, you never told how you came to enjoy the game so much. I shared my story. It's only fair you do too."

The wise old man looked piercingly at his opponent; black hair slicked to perfection, a calm demeanor and ready smile. Tom Riddle was always a charming and handsome boy.

"Indeed. My sister was the cause of my love. You see... Ariana was something of a natural chess prodigy. Before she knew how to mold magic, she knew how to move chess pieces across the board with devastating effect."

"Ah, like that young American muggle... ahm, what was his name again?"

"Paul Morphy," Albus supplied happily. "I dare say had my sister been given the opportunity, she could've trounced the old boy. Alas, it was not possible." Morphy quit chess after his European tour in the 1850's and died in 1884.

"What a waste of a talent."

"At least he was a muggle." Dumbledore looked just in time to see the smirking face of his deal old friend running a hand through his blond mane.

"You would say that, Gellert," Albus chided with a smile.

"I do admit, though, that this is one of the finer products of their species." Thinking for a minute, Grindelwald captured one of his opponent's undefended pawns with his black knight.

"Originally, chess was a way of honoring my sister, but I found it in time to be a most enjoyable pastime."

His opponent shifted once more before making a move.

"For me, it was so Ron would stop bugging me."

"I'm most impressed with your performance, Harry."

"All thanks to Hermione. Some argument caused her to try and prove that she could beat Ron at his own game. She hunted down all the books she could find about chess, including these massive tomes on openings, theories, tactics and what not. Made me practice with her too. Drove me mad." The young boy grinned mischievously. "Didn't help her in her game against Ron, but I learned plenty."

"Yet it didn't show in your games against your friend."

Albus's opponent looked shrewdly at him. "So you do spy on your students, Headmaster."

"Of course. You forget that I'm a paranoid person by nature, Tom."

The dark-haired teen smiled at him. "What do you intend to do? What do you imagine your chances are?" Whether it was a question about the game or something more, Albus wasn't sure. With regard to the game before him...

"I daresay I might be in a bit of trouble." Albus frowned. He played well, haven't made any major mistakes, but he was losing badly.

"You see the flow of the game. You understand strategy at the highest level, but you have a fatal flaw, Albus. You don't seem to value your pawns, Albus," Gellert appraised. "Perhaps, I'm to blame for that, old friend."

"No, no, that fault is mine."

"Pawns are the soul of chess. They shield your forces and offer your king safety. If you arrange them correctly they can force your opponent into undesirable positions. They can even turn the tide of battle," alluding to their ability to promote. Albus nodded, recalling a devastating previous loss when his opponent as Tom Riddle underpromoted to a knight.

"Check." The black knight moved to attack another wayward white pawn, which unleashed a discovery check.

Albus frowned. Four pawns down with the end in sight, his hand hovered over the white king and toppled the regal piece over.

"You never value your pawns." Repeating the phrase in a different voice.

Albus looked sadly into the bright green eyes of Harry Potter; sharp and unyielding but holding not a trace of malice.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so very sorry."

"I understand. Sleep well, sir."

"I shall try. Thank you, Harry."

XXXXXXXXXX

The fiendfyre generated a raging inferno all around. A lone wizard sat in darkness as roaring pillars of flame licked at the edges of the protective wards.

"Albus is not sleeping well," Harry stated aloud, removing the thirteen-and-a-half inch yew wand from his temple. He gripped the powerful wand, taking comfort in it, reveling in its power in ways he never could with his own wand. He almost messed up during transfiguration class earlier when he instinctively reached for Voldemort's wand instead of his own. Only the quick action of one of his girls rescued him from disaster.

At least he didn't do it in the Great Hall. Harry wasn't crazy enough to try wielding Voldemort's wand from right under the Headmaster's nose.

"Why is Albus not sleeping well?" he repeated in question form, staring pointedly at the creature in front of him.

The reddish phoenix that erupted from the flames quickly transformed into the form of a human female with golden eyes.

"How would I know? I'm not his keeper."

"You're his familiar." Technically at least.

The shapeshifter gave a very human shrug, uncaring of her supposed master's fate. So much for a phoenix's unwavering loyalty!

"Perhaps he senses what the future holds."

"What, he's a seer now? He's developing the sight at age 114?"

Another shrug.

Frustration and annoyance had given away to antipathy in the immortal creature long ago. Harry would have seen that even without the intimate connection of a familiar bond. Fawkes was tired of being tied to a man who once held such hope and ambition but ultimately squandered them on nothing.

"You know, my original plan was to make him suffer. I wanted to make him feel pain and self-loathing and all those things I felt. But the more I learn about him, the more I understand him." Harry found it difficult to muster the same level of rage and hatred he once had. Even the thought of torturing the venerable wizard with memories of Ariana gave him pause. Instead his rage and anger were directed at someone else.

Harry's fists reflexively clenched and unclenched, his own feelings boiling to the surface. The phoenix girl moved forward and touched his forehead with her own.

"You are not at ease. Why have you shut out your own coven?" As the magical anchor, Fawkes could sense the unease and tension through the bonds.

"Because I found out they were conspiring against me."

Fawkes gave a melodic laugh that resembled a phoenix's thrill. "What did you expect when you left their freewill intact? Still you hesitate to act when faced with this treachery. Why? You remember Merlin, don't you?"

Of course, he remember Merlin, and the _real_ history of the Golden Age of Magic. For one, Morgana was not the one that turned dark.

"You think I should _disband _my own coven?" Harry almost laughed at his own euphemism.

"You enlisted those specific girls to help you defeat Voldemort. That task is all but complete. What is their purpose now? Do you think they can help you change the wizarding world?"

With the exception of Susan, who was dead, and Pansy, no one else possessed the magical pedigree or connections that could help him seize control of the magical centers of authority any time soon. Too many muggleborns, halfbloods and foreigners like Su Li. It would take many years of effort for them to build up a support base, in which case he might as well just imperio Malfoy and Yaxley. Using purebloods like those two would make his current crop of girls redundant, which meant...

Harry violently shook his head.

The phoenix girl looked pointedly at him, her mouth curling up into a smirk. "The thought doesn't disturb you, does it?"

"It should."

"Why?"

He once knew why, but he was no longer sure.

"I always found you humans' obsession with life and death fascinating. Albus was the same way, even back when he was plotting with his old friend, Gellert; always worried about everything and nothing. It drove his friend insane."

Harry figured the creature's callousness was a reflection of its own immortality. "I'm surprised you didn't bond to Grindelwald instead."

"I only choose victors. You know that, Harry Potter," the girl stated with fire in her eyes. "Elder wand or not, Gellert never stood a chance."

An uncomfortable silence descended and Harry Potter found himself at a loss as to what to do. Luna was always the one who handled the mystifying creature. Fawkes took the lead in breaking the silence. She glided up to him and pressed her naked flesh against him. Warmth and comfort washed over him, temporarily masking the chaos Harry was feeling through his bonds with the coven.

"You may delay in deciding on their fate, but you must choose a new Alpha soon." Fawkes pulled away and the weight of his coven's presence slammed into him like a metric ton bludger. "I'm not a replacement for Luna and Susan. Albus is waking." Fawkes shifted into her bird form and burned away.

"Right," Harry muttered, cursing a certain insomniac old fool. He cancelled the burning fiendfyre and lifted the restriction runes. Not even five minutes passed when the emergency teleportation runes activated and one of his girls appeared short of breath.

"Yes?"

"Master, Rita Skeeter dropped a message about an interview she just completed."

"Who was it?"

"Your former girlfriend."

Harry Potter had only one former girlfriend that remained alive and whose name was spoken with contempt by his coven. Lisa Turpin, the "genius" Ravenclaw in Harry's year that graduated early after crushing her OWLs and NEWTs through a special dispensation to take the latter exams. The real reason was that the girl developed cold feet as Harry began ramping up his secret campaign. She wanted out in a very bad way, so he obliged, arranging for her early graduation.

As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Harry's blood turned to ice as he skimmed the interview. "Morgana's Tits," he muttered, but not quietly enough if his girl's twitching was anything to go by.

"We should act swiftly. Skeeter's not the only journalist nor is the Prophet the only paper interested in such a sensational story." The life and story of the Boy-Who-Lived becoming the Dark-Lord-in-Waiting? What a story. And what a disaster it would be for Harry and his coven.

"There's a series of Death Eater raids scheduled for tonight. It should not be difficult for _Bellatrix_ to adjust the target of one of those raids." There was a time not long ago when Harry would've been horrified by such an idea.

"Wasn't Turpin a ward specialist? Her home must be very well protected. It could be difficult to breach the defenses before aurors could respond." Meaning an assault by inexperienced Death Eaters would guarantee a bloodbath, but not necessarily the kill.

"Lisa may have shielded her home, but probably not her family's, not if she didn't want to answer some difficult questions. Mrs. Turpin's birthday is this week and Lisa was always close to her mother."

The girl was surprised, really surprised. This was clearly not a spur of the moment decision, which meant Harry knew or suspected or he was just that much of a paranoid cynic. She smacked her in anticipation. Good. "What would you have us do, My Lord?"

"Inform the others I'll take care of Lisa." Harry stared at the girl in front of him, eager and expectant. "Come, Romilda. My ex is waiting."

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Diffindo!"_

"_Confringo"_

_Dirt and dust filled the air as flashes of light erupted all around._

"_Just kill the girl, Parkinson. We have to escape while there's still time!"_

_The tall man tightened his grip on the quivering, moaning girl and brought his wand to her face. His dark, satisfied grin enraged her even as she hung on to life by a thread. She lashed out in the only manner left available to her. Her mouth closed the mere inches of distance and munched on the dark wizard's hand with ferocious force. _

"_Agh, you bitch!" The Parkinson elder smashed her to the ground with his free arm. "I'll show you what we do to filthy dogs!" The tip of his wand was forming the killing curse when a blasting curse smashed his shoulder blade. He dropped like a ton of bricks, screaming like a banshee. _

_The girl felt consciousness and life fleeing her as comforting arms encircled her, pulling her upright. _

"_Oh Merlin! Su?! Su Li, hang in there!"_

"_Lisa?" she called out faintly. Was she dreaming? Lisa Turpin, fellow Ravenclaw and most recent cover of Teen Witches Weekly, the girl who was the envy of witches everywhere for winning the heart of the Boy-Who-Lived. _

"_Harry! Come quick!"_

_Su found her body being handed off to another set of hands, stronger, firmer and distinctively male. Cho was right. Harry Potter did feel nice, but that comfort did not stop blood and bile from passing through her lips. _

"_Hang on, Su! Just hang on!"_

"_Harry..." She leaned into him, instinctively seeking refuge in the embrace of the wizarding world's youngest hero, but it wasn't enough. The pain was too great; the despair, overwhelming; and the anger, unbearable._

"_Please kill me..."_

"Su?"

The lithe asian blinked.

"Ah, sorry, Hermione. What was that?"

"I asked if you wanted any sausage or bacon before they're all gone," the intelligent witch asked, noting the redhead beside her who was halfway through his third plate. Su looked at her barely touched plate of baked potatoes, scrambled eggs and a side of Danish pastry and shook her head.

"That's a first." Seamus quipped. "Maybe there's hope for dear old Ron as well."

"Not bloody likely," Ron countered, cheerfully seizing a plate of fresh biscuits for himself. His antics drew chuckles.

As Harry Potter's girlfriend, Su Li was a frequent sight at the Gryffindor table and she was by far the second most impressive eater at the table. Seeing the dainty, petite girl polish off her plate had left the lions stunned the first time around until she explained.

Her muggle father had been a survivor of the Three Bitter Years and other travails before immigrating to the British Isles. His experiences of scavenging for food and shelter left a lasting impression, which he imparted in his young daughter. The little things in life mattered; enjoy them.

"I guess we know Harry wasn't with you then," Seamus continued in a light tone, highlighting the empty seat beside Su. Glances were exchanged. The Irish lad tried to be subtle, but it escaped few people's notice that he liked to chat up the Ravenclaw whenever her boyfriend was absent, ostensibly, to make her feel welcomed. Harry personally found it cute and harmless so Su was forced to tolerate the attention.

"No, not last night," the Chinese girl allowed a soft smile to show. "I was pretty satisfied already."

Hermione chortled from across the table.

"You sure your boyfriend wasn't sneaking time with someone else?"

"Romilda!"

"What? I'm just saying..."

"Harry's not that kind of bloke," noted Ron seriously. His eyes darkened and his arm tightened around Lavender Brown's shoulders.

"What kind of bloke? You mean a handsome, virile, young man who has a lot on his shoulders. Come on, the whole school knows about his special meetings with Aurors and late night exertions with the Headmaster. I just think Harry should be able to unwind from time to time." Romilda looked around the table challengingly. "I heard that the reason Lisa broke up with him was because he left her too sore to get up in the morning."

Gasps echoed loudly across the hall.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!"

Another string of gasps as student turned to a furious looking Hermione Granger.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Vane, is there a problem?"

"No, professor," Hermione responded stiffly. The Gryffindor Head gave the two girls a sharp look before marching back to the staff table.

"Sorry, Granger." Romilda apologized, seemingly with honest contrition before turning her back to the group. Su Li knew better though. She saw the mocking laughter and perverse delight in her eyes.

Vane knew perfectly well what Harry Potter was up to last night and whose bed he tumbled into afterwards. Hers. And she was reveling in the knowledge of what they did, flaunting it with no one outside the coven being the wiser. Romilda Vane, Su realized, wasn't merely a petty vixen, who liked to have fun at others' expense. She was a Nightmare and one of Harry's most vicious and vindictive. No wonder she got along so well with Pansy Parkinson. They respected each other's cruelty.

"You alright?"

"Fine, just fine. Thanks, Hermione." Su offered the concerned brunette a gentle smile.

"Look, the Harry I know would never do something like that. He wouldn't be so heartless to a girl," the intelligent witch stated, but the Ravenclaw could tell she was looking for reassurance. Assurance that the friend she knew remained unchanged.

Su Li was no Romilda or Pansy. She wasn't that cruel.

"Harry not only saved my life, but he gave it meaning again. There is nothing I wouldn't do or give for him." Su Li waved her hand in a whatever motion. The lions stared at her with a mixture of shock and wonder.

"What? I mean, how could-"

The asian reached over to grab the older witch's hand and arrested the Gryffindor's rebuke. "Hermione, Harry saved your life during the troll incident in first year, didn't he?"

The brunette flushed. "Yes, but what does that have to do with it?"

"If you were me, if you were his girlfriend, what would you be willing to do for him?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but no words came out so she closed them awkwardly. Red with embarrassment, she looked around for help, but only found faint looks of bemusement and awe.

"I can't say it's completely unexpected. This is Harry we're talking about." Heads whirled on the redhead in question, who spoke in between mouthfuls of bacon and sausage. "What? It's true." He shrugged at his other best friend's expression of disbelief.

Su smiled before going back to her meal, finishing it just as the Headmaster stepped into the Great Hall with Director Bones and Harry Potter and a retinue of Aurors in tow. Perfect timing. The asian witch stood up and met them mid way.

"How you doing, sweetie?" Harry smiled, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss.

"Ah-hem."

"Sorry professor. Habit," he apologized, but kept his arm firmly wrapped around the diminutive witch. Su dimpled cutely in response, relishing her Lord's public attention. It comforted and assured her.

"Mr. Potter, please remember what we discussed," stated the ministry director cliply. Harry nodded, undisturbed by the woman's uncharacteristic coldness. Amelia Bones blamed him for her niece's death. If only she knew how right she was.

"Of course." Harry walked off, clutching Su Li's hand tightly in his. He'd rather be somewhere else when the morning mail came.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pansy Parkinson tapped the dining table with her fingers impatiently. Malfoy was late... again. Until recently, the scion of the family of bad faith religiously attended the early breakfast session every day. Making face time with his court as he called it.

"Hey Pansy, where's your Dracipoo? Did you wear him out again?"

The Slytherin prefect bit off half of a sausage in response, ignoring the implication and resulting laughter. She didn't even bother with taking off points like a certain Gryffindor know-it-all. Of course, the former Death Eater would have been happy to off her sodding classmate if Harry hadn't explicitly forbid her. Most unfortunate for Draco. She would have offered him a dignified and painless death as a favor to an old friend.

"Ah, the princesses have finally decided to grace us with their presence."

"Daphne, Tracey."

"Morning, Pansy."

The Slytherin prefect slid down slightly, allowing her two friends to sit down next to each other. Daphne surveyed the table before she sat down.

"Where's Draco?"

Pansy shrugged carelessly, her eyes focussed at the other tables. Daphne and Tracey tried to exchange discrete looks.

"They finally sending Aurors to guard the school?" The wary Slytherins watched Director Bones's entourage fanned out across the Great Hall.

"You think they'll cancel the Hogsmeade visit?"

"Maybe." No. Not if Harry had anything to say about it. Their Lord had scheduled an important summit for his coven outside the prying eyes of Hogwarts. "Any plans?"

"As a matter of fact..." Daphne trailed off, instinctively taking possession of her companion. Pansy found it amazing how the sly and savvy blonde could be so unsubtle about it, but then she was young and inexperienced in this particular arena.

"Alright. I'll probably be with Draco for most of the day anyways." The Slytherin prefect scooped up a handful eggs into her mouth. A parliament of owls descended to drop the morning mail. The big bold black letters of the Daily Prophet stared back at her.

_**Multiple Death Eater Attacks Across the Isles. **_  
><em><strong>Turpin Family Dead. Former Girlfriend of Boy-Who-Lived Brutally Murdered. See Page 2.<strong>_

She saw Harry Potter guide his girlfriend away as the cries of the students reached a crescendo. Su Li was enjoying her time in the Sun. That was good. Hopefully, she wouldn't end up like Lisa. Pansy still had plans for her.

XXXXXXXXXX

The raven-haired girl struck a provocative pose in front of the three sided mirrors. Clad in a string bikini that displayed her modest, but sufficient assets, she almost looked like one of those muggle magazine models. Almost.

She shifted sideways, canted her bare left leg in front of her right and adopted a more alluring look that showed off her pouty lips. Better, but only because it better hid her less than generous assets. For one brief crazy moment, the aspiring witch considered getting a mammoplasty to go along with her nose job and lip augmentation. Ah, the wonders of muggle plastic surgery.

"Preening for a date, Pansy?"

Pansy Parkinson suppressed the urge to raise her wand and curse the living hell out of the intruder.

"Draco. Do you mind?" Even if it was Malfoy, it was still very stupid of her to let her guard down. The Slytherin male said nothing, not even a half-assed quip.

"Draco?"

The proud Malfoy scion looked distinctly less proud. He wore a haggard expression, highly suggestive of a lack of sleep and was clutching his arm, his marked arm to be precise. Pansy noticed his entire body was twitching sporadically. Post cruciatus effect.

"I need to talk to you... Now!" Draco stared intently at her with cold blue eyes, which widened in shock. "After you get dressed. I'll wait for you outside."

Pansy put her potential buys to the side and tossed on her school clothing. Her new wardrobe could wait. Her old friend was far too agitated, upset even by what should have been a simple Death Eater initiation ceremony. Torture one or two defenseless muggles, top it off with a killing curse and call it a night. How hard could it have been?

Very hard. So hard that Draco had refused to perform the deed and caught a dose of Cruciatus as a result. He would still be limping around if it weren't for his dear mother's tender treatments. Fortunately for him, Narcissa Malfoy had once been an attending healer before becoming a homemaker.

She pulled the hood over her head as she made her way to the rendezvous, silently checking to make sure she wasn't being followed. This was an unprecedented development and the coven and Harry Potter would want to know immediately. There was no way to hide it. But like any good Slytherin, Pansy was formulating ways to use that information to her advantage.

XXXXXXXXXX

"He did what?"

The echo of female laughter reverberated through the underground cavern.

"True story. Malfoy pissed himself when he realized he had to make the kill. Aunt Bellatrix was most displeased with him. Isn't that right?"

As Voldemort's most trusted lieutenant, the persona of Bellatrix Lestrange was occupied by the various members of the coven as the circumstances dictated. The real woman being utilized as a trophy of sorts in the Chamber of Secrets.

"How long did you hold the Cruciatus?"

"A couple of seconds at most. Squealed like a pig as soon as it hit him. Not what I was expecting. You would think Malfoy would have groomed his own son better for the role."

"Unless Malfoy senior never expected his spawn to join the Dark Lord's ranks."

Unthinkable! It did give the coven pause. Being a Death Eater was no walk in the park. The first year attrition rate for new initiates was not much better than a dice roll. Even the most loyal members of Voldemort's inner circle would be wary about sacrificing their own offspring on their master's bloody altar.

"That makes no sense."

"Doesn't it? What do you think, Pansy?"

The raven-haired girl in question walked into the spotlight and dropped to one knee.

"I apologize for being late. I was just speaking with Draco Malfoy."

Harry leaned forward expectantly as his Slytherin mistress recounted her encounter. He kept his expression neutral even as the rest of his coven erupted into murmurs and outrage at the revelation.

"Bollocks. Malfoy was faking it to gain your sympathy."

Harry frowned. Possible, but unlikely. Was he that clever? Severus Snape he was not. But then there was another point to the complaint.

"Pansy, are you sure you're not overreaching? Going the extra length to look after an _old _friend," Hannah, the Necromancer, stepped forward to pass judgement. Her punishment had been swift, true, but so was her reinstatement. There was some benefit to being the master's most valued.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We all know you slept with Malfoy before, probably even the night you were captured."

Pansy directed the harshest glare she could muster at Romilda Vane, the backstabbing cunt, but didn't bother to defend herself. It was true after all. Chancing a glance at a pensive looking Harry suggested that he didn't particularly care. It was also true that she wanted to save Draco's life and the lives of his family. It was a selfish wish, but that didn't mean it couldn't benefit her lord.

"My point is that Malfoy refused to kill an innocent, a muggle girl no less."

"And that matters because..."

The fate of the Malfoy family had been sealed long time ago... or so everyone assumed. The eyes of the coven turned to Harry Potter, who had been silent the entire time.

"It matters, all right. It matters," Harry admitted. "Pansy."

"My lord?"

"What are the chances that Malfoy simply developed cold feet? That his family doesn't know about his intentions."

"Almost none. Malfoy is an old family in every sense of the word."

The coven endured many minutes of uneasy silence until Harry spoke again.

"What are you proposing?" Harry allowed himself a wry smile. "You are proposing something, aren't you?"

That smile, that freakishly placid smile gave Pansy pause, making her wonder if he hadn't already foreseen everything; Hannah's insane blood feud against Su and her "selfless" intervention, Tracey and Daphne's recruitment, and her current plan to redeem the House of Slytherin, the rest of the coven be damned.

"Dead, the Malfoys offer us nothing, but alive, alive the family can deliver us the Magical Isles."

Massive exaggeration, but it suited her just fine. Susan Bones had been the linchpin to all their post-Voldemort plans. With her gone, and her aunt a grief stricken and suspicious Auror chief, the coven and Harry had no readily available method to taking charge. Pansy was offering a possible solution.

"Ridiculous! After what that family has done! I can't believe we're even talking about this!"

The discussion that followed was lively to say the least. Pansy burned through most of the coven's goodwill making her case for the Malfoys. Even without the bond, Harry Potter could sense the waves of mistrust and suspicion rolling off of his other girls, most of whom have lost family members and friends or have suffered directly under Voldemort's followers. Death to the Death Eaters was their original battle cry after all.

"I trust our master to do what is best," Su Li stated finally. The petite Chinese girl gave Pansy a nod, making sure her fellow sisters saw. The coven quieted. An orphaned, abused trophy girlfriend and a racist blood purist made for strange bed partners indeed.

"Okay, we'll see if this plan has merit. We'll start reeling Tracey and Daphne in after my next class. Work on the Malfoys and see if they know any like-minded compatriots," Harry added, effectively giving the Slytherin his blessing. "Stick around, Pansy. Hannah needs to show you something. The rest of the coven is dismissed."

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Harry disappeared along with his public girlfriend. Several of his other girls frowned briefly before shrugging off their lord's dismissive attitude. The fact that no one's head rolled could be considered a victory. The issue of determining the next Alpha and Coven Mistress could wait for a bit longer.

Pansy waited until everyone has left, their glares bouncing harmlessly off her. She had developed a teflon skin in the course of being the most despised member of Harry's staff.

"We should get started," Hannah remarked in an almost lazy fashion as she activated the rune networks under their feet. Pansy remained wary. Just the other day, the other girl tried to make mincemeat of her.

"Relax, Pansy. My blood loyalty to Susan has been fulfilled. I won't hurt you... too much."

"Gee, thanks." The Slytherin relaxed just a little, not putting it past the Huffleslut to pull one over her. Her expression turned to one of disgust as a foul smelling muggle appeared before them. The man was unshaven, delirious and dressed in what looked like expensive, but disheveled designer suit.

"Pl, please, don't hurt me... I'll do anything. I, I'll give you anything. I...I, I can pay you! I'm very rich!"

"You call that begging? I'm sure those street urchins you got your hands on did a better job." The man completely broke down as his crimes were thrown in his face. "Do this and you'll be free," Hannah ordered coldly, setting down a nondescript black book in front of him.

The weeping man moved to grab the book, only for the object to grab him instead. A tentacle of energy shot through his hand, through his arm and into his head.

"No, NO! Oh, God, help me! NOo..." The two coven sisters calmly watched as the "book" consumed the muggle, spilling his red life force on its pages, turning him first into a dried husk and then into a pile of bones. Hannah cast a cremation curse, rendering the former human being into a pile of ashes. Worthless trash. He wouldn't be missed.

A blue fire consumed the book, transforming its clean empty white leaflets into wrinkled pages of yellow text.

"Harry thinks it's time for you to learn the Dark Arts, the real Dark Arts," Hannah stated with a grin. "I'm the teacher for your introductory course."

Pansy did not try to hide her surprise. No one had expected her to survive, which was why she was never included in the advanced training sessions the other inner members received. Had that suddenly changed?

"Don't look so surprised. It would look bad if Harry Potter's new Alpha were to be felled by the first semi-competent dark wizard or witch that comes along."

Pansy gaped and Hannah smirked.

"Close your mouth before you catch flies." Scores of questions swirled around the Slytherin's head, she bit her tongue. No reason to make the Huffleslut think she was all riled up and Harry would undoubtedly clarify his intentions soon enough. He had to select an Alpha or at least a Mistress to guide the coven soon.

The raven-haired witch stared at the glowing text, still bathed in the muggle blood.

"I'm guessing you're planning to do more than just teach me how to summon an army of inferi from a cemetery."

The blonde Necromancer gave her a glare that promised pain, but then her scowl turned into an evil grin. "If you insist." Before Pansy could utter a peep of protest, Hannah seized control of her arms and her magic. "Stop resisting and just relax," she commanded in a husky whisper. Pansy tensed, but obeyed, allowing the Necromancer to guide her wand through a series of intricate movement, coupled with strange incantations.

The difficulty with advanced Dark Arts like Necromancy was their complexity and subtlety. They drew upon a person's intimate relationship with magic itself and because the magic of every witch and wizard was unique, there was no universal guidelines for how to perform these spells. A deep, thorough understanding of the underlying magic foundations was essential as the practitioner had to be willing and able to make precise adjustments.

Hannah summoned a knife and made a small cut on Pansy's offhand, dripping a trail of blood on the floor.

"Blood of the summoner as the source,"

"Bones of the vanquished as the template,"

"Bond of our chosen master as the anchor,"

"Rise, my minion!"

Pansy watched as a pulsing whirlwind of magic gathered. When it passed, the disintegrated body of the dead muggle was reanimated into the grotesque form of a Inferius.

"Wonderful, no?"

The surge of adrenaline almost knocked Pansy off her feet. The feel of power and authority left the Slytherin speechless. She always knew that certain dark spells like the Cruciatus had an addictive side effect; the late Bellatrix Lestrange being case and point; herself prior to Harry's indoctrination being a less extreme example. But that was nothing compared to what she was going through. Magic itself recognized her as the master of her creation, and it made her feel like a god. The power of life and death, creation and destruction, all in the palm of her hand.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone as the inferius creation collapsed back into dust. The loss sent Pansy staggering. Hannah roughly grabbed her to keep her from falling over her own feet.

"Control your emotions. Raise your Occlumency Shields!"

Pansy gasped for breath like a fish out of water for a few seconds before she gathered her wits and followed the suggestion. Crushing her mind shields, she gradually calmed down from the dizzying array of emotions.

"Better?" Apparently not as Pansy shivered in the arms of her coven sister like a broken doll. Hannah pulled the Slytherin up to her and kissed her rosy lips hard. Relief instantly flooded through her. "How about now?"

"Much better." Pansy shook herself, not at all pleased with how weak and pathetic the experience made her look. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Magical backlash. Can happen to first timers. Su Li was worse. She fainted outright," Hannah joked. The other girl maintained her sneer, but allowed herself to feel a little better. Harry's asian vixen was not the most magically inclined, but she made up for it with sheer determination and personal tutelage from the chosen one himself. Tutelage, which the Slytherin never received.

Pansy reinforced her Occlumency shields and forced herself not to moan as Hannah withdrew her arms, severing their intimate connection. The other girl grinned knowingly causing her to narrow her eyes in suspicion. It somehow wouldn't surprise her if this was some plot by the Huffleslut to bed her.

"Rest assured, Pansy, that I'm not trying to get inside your panties. I have no need for that," Hannah retorted. "Plus, I have it under good authority that you're a lousy lover."

If eyes could cast fiendfyre...

"Your Occlumency shields are fine. Don't bother checking them. Your thoughts and emotions are very predictable no matter how hard you try to hide them," Hannah explained in a serious tone. "That could be an exploitable weakness against a knowledgeable opponent."

The raven-haired Slytherin nodded, conceding the point. "How can I prevent that?"

"Lots of training and special meditation involving time that we don't have. There is another way, which is what Harry wanted me to try. Summoning an inferius creation using your body as a conduit was a test, to see if your body can accept foreign magical intervention," Hannah tilted her head sideways. "It looks like it can. It's a shame Harry didn't allow you to do this earlier." Although both girls knew why. Pansy Parkinson, the Death Eater, was never supposed to survive long enough to benefit from such advanced training.

"Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Take off your clothes and kneel inside the pentagram."

The runic inscriptions, the setup, the ambiance. A shiver ran down the former Death Eater's back. They were more than just a little reminiscent of the horrific rituals Voldemort used to perform on muggles.

"Lower your occlumency shields."

Was she serious?

"I'm perfectly serious. It's the only way," said Hannah matter-of-factly.

There must have been a million reasons why that wasn't a good idea, even if the Necromancer was wearing a loyalty collar. But in the end Pansy obeyed. She trusted Harry to do what was best.

The Arcane Arts Mistress smiled in response as she sank the serrated blade into the soft flesh of her former nemesis and tore into her open mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

Su Li paused mid-bite.

"What's wrong? I thought you liked Merlin's Medley Sundaes."

Harry continued munching on his frozen treat, pretending he hadn't felt what the rest of the coven must have felt.

"You know, Harry, if you're going to torture poor Parkinson like that, you should at least stick around to watch. What if Hannah gets a bit too enthusiastic?" Su recalled the maniac necromancer's all too recent vendetta against herself.

"I had a long conversation with Hannah. She knows which lines she's not supposed to cross." Harry smiled reassuringly, though Su remained uncertain. The petite witch was always careful to avoid being left alone with the deadly and monstrously strong Hufflepuff.

"I know what Pansy is trying to do," Harry stated. He was willing to entertain her ambitions... to an extent. It didn't mean he would make it easy for her. As Su Li alluded, there was a part of him that enjoyed seeing the pretty Slytherin suffer. "But I didn't think you would be so concerned about her wellbeing."

"She saved me from Hannah."

"Her father made you into who you are."

"You made me into what I am. Mr. Parkinson," Su spat, "was a catalyst." She stood on tiptoes and seized Harry's lips for a heated kiss. Her tongue danced across to his in a passionate duet. The raven-haired savior smiled when they broke apart, surprised but pleased by the unexpected boldness. The chinese girl flushed, her dark eyes scanning the surrounding, battling the stares of curious spectators. Voyeurs the lot of them!

"Hey, Harry. Hello, Su."

"What's up, Neville. Have a seat and relax."

Neville Longbottom, the steadfast Gryffindor and Harry's most loyal lieutenant outside the coven. The burgeoning lord had considered bringing him into the fold many a time, but something always seemed to come up. As it were, the shy young man was one of the joint leaders of the Defense Association as well as Harry's teaching assistant.

"There are aurors on guard, Neville. You might as well enjoy the break along with everyone else. Who knows when we'll get another one."

The dedicated young man shook his head emphatically, his vigilant eyes focused on their surroundings. "You know I can't do that, Professor Potter." Technically, Student Associate Professor of Defense, but Neville thought it came down to the same thing. And boy did he take his roles seriously. "I just wanted to let you know that the flyers reported nothing unusual after making an arc reconnaissance sweep."

The two chatted a bit before the latter leapt away.

"I think he still blames the Ministry for failing to protect his grandmother," Harry guessed. The chinese witch nodded in agreement, but felt compelled to make a counterpoint.

"Even if he's anti-Ministry, it doesn't make him reliable enough to take part in Pansy's plan."

Harry looked at his girlfriend slash protector curiously for defending Pansy while protesting Neville's inclusion. She always got along well with the quiet Gryffindor boy. It was why most students treated Neville as the de facto leader of the DA over his former best friends.

"The others will not accept him." Su Li insisted. Harry stared.

"I'd never share any of you with him." Was this what she was afraid of?

"Why not? You shared Lavender with Ron," she fired back quickly. The words rocked Harry.

"I..." He opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I overstepped."

Harry nodded, but wrapped his arm around the petite witch and gave a reassuring squeeze. His girl was absolutely right about Lavender and Ron. That he "shared" her was perhaps even too soft a way to put it. "Whored" would be more accurate.

"Maybe, but you might be right."

"Don't feel too bad for her. She knew what she was agreeing to when she agreed. She got to have sex regularly even now and I'm sure she has Ronald somewhat trained now," Su added. Lavender was never part of any inner circle even before the affair.

"Hey, mate."

Speak of the devil. Though it wasn't Lavender who was hanging on his shoulder for support.

"Hi Ron, Hermione."

His two former friends arrayed themselves before him and exchanged nervous looks.

"Harry, can we talk to you," Hermione glanced at the asian witch by his side. "privately?" Su Li's eyes narrowed. Just because she didn't despise the former know-it-all like some of her coven sisters didn't mean she enjoyed the other girl's company. She was the most naturally aggravating girl she had ever met.

"We been over this. What you can say to me, you can say in front of my girlfriend. I trust her." Hermione recoiled, stung by the harshness.

"She meant for security. We are pretty public, after all," Ron clarified, shifting slightly under the attention of other students and observers. Harry smiled at the uncharacteristic thoughtfulness.

"It's fine. I've set up a privacy net. Even if others tried, they won't be able to hear our conversation," Harry promised. The two exchanged more glances.

"Just tell me."

"Ginny's anniversary is coming up."

Ah, so that's what it was. A pang of loss and regret hit him.

"I know," Harry said.

"We were wondering if you would visit her."

"Of course I will!"

"...with the family," Ron added.

Surprise. Harry was genuinely shocked. Su Li fought the urge to panic as her eyes met those of her compatriots.

"I think the others. I think Mom and Dad are ready to have you join us."

Harry thought for a moment. "You think?"

"The Weasleys have moved on, Harry. They want you back."

He didn't quite believe Hermione. Her pleading tone suggested she was trying as much to convince herself as him.

"I killed their daughter."

"Voldemort killed her, mate," Ron insisted. Harry gave his friend credit. That could not have been easy.

"Voldemort manipulated me into killing my girlfriend," Harry corrected. The redhead had nothing for that. The shimmer of light in his eyes told him his friend hasn't forgotten or forgiven.

"Why are you being so difficult, Harry?" Hermione cried in frustration.

"Because it's the truth, Granger! Stop living in your bubble of the past," Su Li interjected finally. She had no right, no right to speak like that to Harry. Not anymore!

Harry motioned Su to back down. "I took away a daughter and a sister. How could I expect the Weasleys to forgive me? How could I expect you to forgive me, Ron."

"They will! They just need some more time."

"Hermione, you warned me twice. First about Sirius and then about Ginny," Harry spoke with regret and remorse. "You never forgave me and you never will. And to be honest, you shouldn't just as the Weasleys and Ron shouldn't forgive me." He looked at his former mate and saw him give an almost imperceptible nod. "Even if we have time, which we don't, I don't think it would make any difference. And since you can't forgive me, I can't trust you."

Hermione looked shattered, broken really. While her companion looked equally unhappy, he seemed perhaps relieved. Ronald Weasley finally saw the cost of association with Harry Potter and all it costed was the life of his only sister.

Climactic setting in the middle of Hogsmeade and an anticlimactic finish. There were no punches thrown or even much tears as Ron led Hermione away. The brunette gave her redheaded friend a hug before running away, only for her spot to be taken instantly by Lavender Brown.

Harry smiled. It wouldn't have mattered anyways. After Ginny, after the massacres and attacks, after all that has happened, and all he has done behind their backs, if he was honest with himself, he would realize reconciliation was never a possibility. He and his girlfriend watched as Hermione broke away and Lavender Brown took her place by Ron's side.

"I convinced myself that I was giving her to Ron as a way to make up for killing Ginny."

Harry sat, silent, pondering for a long while and then seemed to reach a decision with himself. He stood up suddenly before others finally gathered the courage to approach him again.

"Let's go. I'm ready."

XXXXXXXXXX

**AN:** Successful research is successful! Ariana died in 1899, Paul Morphy saw his chess star rise in the 1850s, so the timeline should make sense.

Regarding the Ginny, Hermione and Ron canon set. I figured this was a reasonable enough approach to "dealing" with them. I wanted to avoid the taint of character assassination while still finding a way to distance them from Harry. I briefly debated on who to kill off or maim and went with the simplest and easiest choice, Ginny. Naturally I have no shipping or character bias what so ever!

I always wanted to go for this type of a gritty harem story, but always chickened out. Might as well try it for fun.


End file.
